Aclient with an upper respiratory infection asks the nurse why the health care provider did not prescribe an antibiotic. what would be the best response from the nurse?

The nurse's best answer would be to say that the patient's infection is being caused by bacteria and the antibiotic is the drug capable of killing bacteria.

Explanation:

Antibiotics are drugs used to treat infections caused by bacteria, which is why it was prescribed for the patient shown in the question above. There are many different types of antibiotics, one of the most prescribed medications today.

An antibiotic can be classified as bactericidal or bacteristatic. In the first case, it works by directly killing bacteria. In the second case, it prevents bacteria from multiplying, allowing the sick person's own immune system to eliminate the infection. However, bacteria can adapt and find ways to survive the effects of an antibiotic, becoming "resistant". The more often we use an antibiotic, the more likely a bacterium will become resistant to it, especially if the dose is less than the required dose, if it is not taken at precisely the recommended times, or if treatment is stopped early.